BERLIN(Palestine Foundation Information Center) The Dutch player of Moroccan origin, Anwar El Ghazi, has pledged to contribute 500,000 euros to support the children of Gaza, which is a third of the amount he received from the Mainz club, a competitor in the German Bundesliga, after the unlawful termination of his contract.
The club had suspended El Ghazi due to his public support for the Palestinian people in the genocide that the Gaza Strip has been subjected to for about 11 months.
The German club suspended the Dutch player due to a social media post in which he expressed his support for the Palestinian resistance in the Al-Aqsa Flood operation carried out on October 7, 2023.
The following month, the club terminated El Ghazi’s contract, but a German court ruled last month that the termination was not legal.
El Ghazi’s contract with Mainz was set to run until 2025, but this month he has moved to Cardiff City. The ruling from the Mainz labor court ordered the club to pay El Ghazi’s salary for the past nine months, totaling 1.7 million euros ($1.9 million).
El Ghazi told The Athletic that he received a payment of 1.5 million euros from Mainz regarding his dismissal.
On Friday, El Ghazi wrote on social media, “I would like to take this opportunity to thank Mainz for two things. Firstly, for the substantial financial compensation, of which 500,000 euros will be used to fund projects for children in Gaza.”
He continued, “I hope that Mainz, despite their repeated unsuccessful attempts to avoid paying the owed amount, will find solace in the knowledge that they have, through me, financially contributed to an attempt to make life more viable for the children of Gaza.”
He added, “Secondly, I thank Mainz for attempting to silence me, which has made my voice louder and clearer on behalf of the oppressed in Gaza.”
The Israeli occupation has been waging a genocide on the Gaza Strip since October 7, 2023, with absolute American support, resulting in more than 133,000 Palestinian martyrs and wounded, mostly children and women, and more than 10,000 missing, amid massive destruction and deadly famine.
